New news item - Bosch to buy Freud

Bosch is to acquire the power tool accessories business of the Freud Group, headquartered in Milan, Italy. With this acquisition, Bosch is adding to its existing range of power tool accessories, especially high performance circular-saw blades and router bits. The acquisition is subject to approval by the authorities. The companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The Freud Group is a global supplier of circular-saw blades, router bits, and cutters for enthusiast woodworkers, professional and industrial users. These products are mainly manufactured in four locations around the city of Udine in north eastern Italy. In this area of activity, the company employs some 580 associates worldwide, and generated sales of 100 million euros in 2007.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware soon moving to Virginia karsonwm@gmail.com †

8 comments so far

Not sure how I feel about this. I have always had good luck with Freud bits and blades. I like my Bosch ROS, and have long lusted after a Colt laminate trimmer. But I have gotten Bosch bits at Lowes that have lost coating and had brazing go south in a single use (the spiral straights were quite good though). Hopefully the acquisition will leaven the offerings of both brands. I mean, these giant corporate entities have our interests at heart, right? ;^}

Do you think the purveyors of sub-prime mortgages and the auto industry have screwed the pooch (sorry, I could be more delicate in my choice of words, but it wouldn’t do justice to the concept of how bad things are) for big business in the hearts of most of us.

The entire concept of a day’s work for a day’s pay has evaded the “suits” for decades now.

There is no doubt in my mind that the corporations are on a downward slide to reality and that they will hurt a lot of folks on the way down.

What that means in this case, is that no matter who buys who, if the intent is not to make a better mousetrap but simply to reduce operating costs then we should expect less rather than more from these mergers.

I myself have mixed feelings on this. I like both brands and use them both but I wonder what will happen to the quality. Seems that every time someone buys out another company the quality goes down and the price goes up. Am I right?

When the corps’ consolidate they clean out the senior management that draw the highest wages and benefits and keep the younger less experienced people in order to “trim” the ship.Usually the remaining staf have more work than they can handle and either quit or become less efficient under the extra load.

Growing up my Dad had a rental yard and only had the toughest tools (including Bosch drills, hammer drills and breakers). They aren’t built as tough as they used to be – but what is? I had my Bosch router (1613EVS) for about a day when I tripped over the cord, pulling it off the bench – cracking the housing and busting the VS dial off. :-(